


New Year's Eve

by elderwitty, squidgie



Category: Sports Night
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-12-29
Updated: 2010-12-29
Packaged: 2017-10-14 05:10:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,533
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/145715
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/elderwitty/pseuds/elderwitty, https://archiveofourown.org/users/squidgie/pseuds/squidgie
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's New Year’s Eve, and Danny's plans get changed on him</p>
            </blockquote>





	New Year's Eve

**Author's Note:**

  * For [phoebesmum](https://archiveofourown.org/users/phoebesmum/gifts).



> This is for [](http://phoebesmum.livejournal.com/profile)[**phoebesmum**](http://phoebesmum.livejournal.com/) , who asked for some Danny h/c a few weeks ago.  I couldn't come up with anything before Christmas, but this came to me when I woke up on Boxing Day.  Happy Holidays, sweetie!  You've given me all sorts of wonderful times with your Casey/Danny stories, and I wanted to do something to give back to you.  And special naked John/Rodney and Dan/Casey thanks to my dearest, dearest friend [](http://elderwitty.livejournal.com/profile)[](http://elderwitty.livejournal.com/)**elderwitty**   for her continued support, incredible beta skills, and being the best writing partner I could ever have hoped for.  You are the bomb, woman!   
>  **Note The Second:** I've played with the timeline a little bit to keep youngsters, well, young!  
>  **Note the witty:** it’s true. I’m the bomb woman. ; >

~*~*~

 

Dan stands in his bedroom, debating which tuxedo to wear to the party tonight.  He's pretty sure he'll be able to gain Hillary Clinton's ear once again.  It's considerably easier now that he works for the Clinton Foundation and his boss, for all intents and purposes, is Bill Clinton.  After the terrorist attacks of 2001, Dan felt driven to find a purpose outsideof defining himself as a sportscaster.  When the leadership position opportunity arose at the new Clinton Foundation in Harlem, he'd jumped at the chance.

The phone, echoing around his bedroom, jangles him out of his contemplative state.  He picks it up after hesitating for a moment when he sees 'Lisa McCall' on the caller id.  "Umm, hello?" he answers tentatively.

"Danny?" comes the squeaking, faltering voice across the line.

"Charlie?"  Dan frowns.  "What's wrong, big guy?"

"Could I... Would it be okay if I came over?"

The stress in Charlie's voice is evident and familiar.  He's taken to calling Dan on a pretty regular basis since Lisa's decision to remarry.  Stories of the new stepfather range from the bland reports Casey gives him to Charlie's horrified replay of a conversation wherein Lisa and Will (stepfather-to-be) had discussed sending Charlie to military school.  Dan stashes both of his tuxedos back in the closet.  "Sure, Charlie.  No problem.  You want me to come pick you up?"

"Thank you, Danny.  Yeah, if you could."

"I'll be there in twenty minutes.  Meet you outside?"

"Yeah.  They won't miss me."

"Charles?" Dan says in his most serious tone.  "You're going to tell them this time, right?"  Memories of a previous visit, after Charlie'd failed to tell either Lisa _or_ Casey his plans - and the diatribe that Lisa had launched at him afterward - still sting.  " _Right_?"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Charlie replies, voice muffled somewhat by the sound of material being stuffed into a bag.

"Charlie, I'm serious.  Put your mother on the phone."  Dan can’t believe the words he's just uttered, but he doesn’t want a replay of the previous incident (especially the piercingly shrill notes Lisa had managed to hit).  Following a huff, he's nearly deafened by Charlie bellowing, ' _Mom...  Please pick up the phone,_ ' followed shortly by a quick high-pitched noise that plays somewhere between a scream and a grunt.

"Hello?  Whoever you are, I'm _very_ busy." 

Dan hears the ruffles of a dress shushing around.  "Hello, Lisa."

"Oh.  _Daniel_.  What do _you_ want?"

Before Dan can finish mentally counting to ten, Charlie's squeaky voice fills the line.  "Mom?  I'm going to Danny's tonight."

A repressive sigh comes through the phone.  "Charlie, I'm _sure_ Daniel has something better to do than to spend New Year’s Eve with a thirteen year old boy."

It’s moments like this that make Dan's abiding hatred of the woman seem more than justified.  "We'll be fine, Lisa, thanks," he announces flatly.  "I'll have him back tomorrow before 9am."

"Make it noon," Lisa barks back.  "We're going to a party tonight, so we'll be out quite late."

Dan's brain kicks in a response before he can bite his tongue.  "Oh, so **you** have better things to do _than spend New Year’s Eve with your thirteen year old son_."

"Whatever," is all the reply he gets before Lisa slams the phone down.  Dan distinctly hears ' _fucking cocksucker'_ screamed loud enough to carry to Charlie's extension.  He wonders what Casey could have ever seen in her.

Charlie sighs heavily into the phone.  "Danny, I'm-"

"Don't worry about it, little man."  He fakes a smile for Charlie to hear in his voice.  "I'll be there in twenty minutes.  Maybe I'll even let you drive.  You've got your permit, right?"

"Really?" comes the excited reply.

"Not a chance." 

Dan hangs up and runs a quick tidy-up job around his apartment, including getting clean sheets for the guest bed.  After a five-minute cleanup, he goes to the kitchen and weighs the contents of his pantry versus the bottomless pit that is Charlie's stomach, deciding they'll have to make a run to the market together.  He grabs his jacket and keys, heads out to his car, and makes his way across town to pick up his young charge.

Pulling up in front of the building, Dan waves to the doorman, who nods back and calls Charlie up from his perch near the elevators.  "Where is your coat?" he demands as Charlie tosses his duffel into the back seat. 

"Come on, Danny," Charlie eyerolls, and Dan contemplates how eerie it is that the young man climbing into his car is _so_ _much_ a young Casey McCall clone.  "It's not like we're going to Times Square or anything."  Charlie settles into his seat, before peering at Dan through a dark flop of hair that mostly covers his eyes.  "Are we?"

"Naah," he dismisses, lightly punching Charlie in the shoulder.  "Thought we'd stay in this year.  Eat some _really_ bad junk food.  Have a zombie movie fest.  You know, the usual."  He winks at Charlie, all the while wondering why anyone wouldn't want to spend as much time as possible with such a great kid.

"Could we, maybe, watch Dad tonight, too?" Charlie asks timidly.

"Think you can stay up that late?"  Casey is still at Sports Night, and tonight's show is a special edition, counting down the greatest sports stories of the new Millennium.  Dan was at the CSC Quo Vadimus office for a planning meeting on the special a few weeks back, and had been greeted warmly by those still there.  Natalie is Executive Producer now (Dana having moved to a new leadership position in the company at Calvin Trager's insistence), and most of the control room regulars are still there.  His suggestion of Oscar Pistorius' controversial reign as the fastest man of 2008, despite being a double amputee, was added to the lineup with enthusiasm.

" _Danny_.  I'm _not_ a little kid anymore," whines the grown-up next to him.  "Mom was gonna let me stay home tonight.  Alone," he adds, voice not quite hiding a hint of sadness.

"Can't have that, now can we?" Dan asks, grinning at Charlie.  He pulls the SUV out into traffic, glad he’d insisted on the all-wheel drive model.  Though the snow and ice is slowly melting, it still makes for slick streets.  "Let's go see how much damage we can do at Food Emporium, eh?"  He hits the voice-command button on the steering wheel with his thumb.  "Call Casey at work" he orders, and the unit dials his former partner's office.

" _You've reached Casey McCall of CSC Quo Vadimus.  Please leave your name and number at the tone, and I will get back to you shortly._ "  Voicemail.  Before he can start, Charlie yells, "Hi, dad!" into the speaker.  He grins at Charlie, taking his eyes off the road for a split second.  "Hey, Case.  Me and Charlie are-"

Time seems to slow down tremendously.  Dan watches Charlie's eyes grow big - a blaring horn overwhelms all sound in the cabin.  He can’t turn fast enough and feels the impact as something slams into the side of the SUV.  He instinctively throws his arm out to keep Charlie from hitting the dashboard.  He feels glass and metal against his left arm, and something digs into his back as the airbags deploy, cushioning what would have been a much harsher blow.  As time starts to speed back up, the sound of the horn dissipates and the tinkling of broken glass on pavement fills the void.  After a second or ten, the tinny sound of "This is BMW Assist.  Mister Rydell, we were just notified that your vehicle has been in a crash.  Are you hurt?"

The last thing Dan hears as he passes out is Charlie's distressed whimper, and a desperate scream of " _HELP_!!!"

~*~*~

Dan wavers in and out of consciousness as he's being extracted from the SUV.  Still pinned on one side, he asks, "Charlie?  Where's Charlie?" and keeps asking until the rescue worker touches his shoulder and points.  He sees Charlie standing on the sidewalk, huddled in a fireman's blanket and watching the scene with big, scared eyes.  Satisfied that Charlie is okay, he fades out again.

The next time he wakes up he's being jostled into an ambulance.  He looks up and sees Charlie with fat tears streaming down his face.  Dan tries to reach an arm up to comfort him but is restrained by the EMT.  "Please be still, sir," is all he hears until Charlie's voice, small and quavering, breaks in with, "I'm _so_ sorry, Danny."

"It's okay, kiddo," he winks back, before falling into the black again.

Voices mumble around him, and there's a buzz of activity that makes his head hurt.  The pain is only rivaled in intensity by the bright light someone keeps shining in his face.  He answers a few questions for the emergency room workers, asks about Charlie, and slips under again following the sting of a needle in his arm. 

~*~*~

Dan's dimly aware of aches throughout his entire body.  The only comfortable bit he has is his right hand, enveloped in something warm.  As he gets closer to the surface, he makes out part of a conversation.  "Yes, Mister President.  No, sir, he'll be fine.  Broken clavicle, slight concussion, bruised lung, and some stitches where part of the car frame tore into his back.  Yes, Mister President."

"Bill?"  As Dan comes fully aware, he sees Casey sitting to his right, stroking his hand and talking to Dan's boss on a cell phone.  He homes in on the voice, focusing on his friend.  "Casey?  Casey, where's Charlie?"

"And he's awake!"  Casey beams down at Dan while finishing his phone conversation.  "Yes, sir, Mister President.  And please give our best to Madame Secretary."  Casey winks at Dan.  "I will, sir.  Thank you."  He hangs up the phone and asks, "How you feelin', slugger?"

Dan tries to smile, but even his cheeks hurt.  "Like I got hit by a truck, Case.  Where's Charlie?"

"He's in the waiting room."  Before Dan can ask, Casey volunteers, "And yes, he's fine.  He's just a little sore and has a black eye.  Apparently the soccer-mom seatbelt has its drawbacks when an airbag deploys..."

"Aww, Casey, I'm sorry."

"Why are _you_ sorry, Danny?  It's not your fault."  As Charlie enters the room, he adds, "And it's not your fault either, young man, so don't start."  Apparently he and Charlie have had this discussion a few times already.  "Some drunken jackass gets behind the wheel of a snow plow..."  Casey trails off, unwilling to verbalize how much worse the accident could have been.

"Aren't you supposed to be on the air?" Dan queries, squinting towards a clock on the far wall and noting how close to show time it is.  He starts to turn his head, but gives up, tracking Casey with his eyes instead.

"I'm where I'm supposed to be, Danny.  Although, when I left it was too late to get a sub."  He pauses before grinningly tossing out, "Natalie's gonna co-host."

"Natalie?"  The temptation is too great, and Dan ignores the pain to turn towards Casey.

"Yep, Natalie.  Now," he squeezes Dan's hand, "I'm going to go get the doctor.  He said that once you woke up, you could leave."  Casey turns to Charlie.  "Come on, kiddo.  Let's go spring Danny out of here."

Dan grips Casey's hand hard for a moment before letting go.  "Case?  Thanks."

~*~*~

The 2am rerun of _Highlights in Sports_ is almost over and Charlie is passed out on Casey's loveseat.  Casey looks at Dan, resting on the sofa next to him, still clasping their hands together.  "Gotta put the big guy to bed, okay?" he asks, reluctant to leave the newfound intimacy he and Dan are sharing.  "I'll be right back."  Dan nods, and Casey drops a kiss onto his forehead before getting up.  He crosses quietly to the loveseat, picking Charlie up.  The youngster stirs a little before easing into Casey's arms.  "Come on, little one," he whispers into Charlie's hair.  He disappears into the second bedroom for a bit before quietly appearing back at Dan's side.  "Ready for bed, Danny?"

Dan replies with a bone-cracking yawn.  "Yeah, Case.  You wanna get me a pillow?"

Casey extends a hand towards the younger man.  "Come on, Danny.  Bed."  He winks at Dan.  " _My_ bed."

Dan puts his good arm out, looking at Casey winsomely.  "You gonna carry me, too?" 

He feels a kick at his heel.  "Get a move-on, Rydell." 

~*~*~

No longer in the habit of sleeping with someone else in the bed, Casey startles awake the moment Dan stirs.  He immediately realizes that, though they’d started on opposite sides of the bed, he's now spooning Danny tightly, gaining through sleepy stealth what he's wanted for the last few years.  Last night's accident having shown him that _later_ isn't infinite – he's gathered his courage and is making his move.  Well, his subconscious has, anyway.  Still, the same issues that kept him from trying all this time flash through his mind as he watches Dan gradually become aware of his surroundings:  _what if Dan's not at all gay (or flexible)?  what if he is - but doesn’t want me?  what if he just says no?  what if it ruins our friendship?  how would I explain it to Charlie, never seeing Danny again? what if--?_

Too late.  Dan's obviously figured out whose apartment (bed!) he's in, and is close to recognizing the arm around his waist.  Casey tries to stay calm, even as his pulse jumps with adrenaline when Dan shifts to look him in the eye.

"Casey?"

"Yeah, Dan?"

"Am I hallucinating?"  Casey's heart and stomach compete for fastest-to-drop-through-the-ground.

Dan scrunches his face up, far too adorable for someone who's on the verge of smashing Casey's world to flinders.  "Did Natalie kiss _Kim_ during a hockey segment?"

Casey’s internal organs leap back into position (and maybe even a little higher) as he assures Dan, "Yup.  It’s all true*.  We'll watch it again during breakfast.  Go back to sleep, though.  's too early, even for Charlie."

Dan tries to roll over, to face Casey, but the sling stops him.  "Wait…here, let me."  Casey figures the angles for a moment before tightening his grip around Dan's middle and pulling him - oh, so carefully – first on top of himself, then over to his left side.  Dan happily slides partway onto his chest, snuggling his face into Casey's neck and quickly falling back to sleep.  After a couple of very confusing minutes feeling grateful to a drunken moron with access to heavy equipment, Casey follows him.

 

* This is what happened.  It was planned for midnight, but Natalie accidentally did it during a segment instead.  After numerous callers demanded to know where Casey was (and dissed her sportscasting skills), she teased the audience by calling Kim on set and making mention of the kissing-at-midnight tradition.  She planned to throw to some videotape, but - flustered by Dave and Elliot's excited comments in her earwig - instead, grabbed Kim and planted one on her right then. 

The network received 17 complaints.  All were from people peeved that they'd been cut off in mid-smooch to show a completely overexposed, only-slightly-exciting-to-non-hockey-fanatics,[so-called 'highlight of the decade'.](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j3PMdKgh7Ic)  
  


~*~*~


End file.
